Jesus was born 2000 years ago. Was he God or was he “man”? A new approach to celebrating Christmas in 1996. 1996 is, according to many New Testament scholars, the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus. According to some contemporary studies, that birth means very different things from the meaning it receives in the ways we celebrate Christmas. Who then is this person at the centre of Christian faith? Was there ever a virgin birth? Who was Mary? What part did Joseph have in it all? Was God ever in our midst? What can we glean from history that can help us celebrate Christmas meaningfully and relevantly in our world of 1996?